Every culture has its sites of special significance, and for surfers, few locations are considered more sacred than the promised land of a good post-surf feed. In Ulladulla, where the locals are already blessed with more than their share of quality reefs and beachies, there’s another spot that’s become almost as revered as some of the area’s finest waves. It’s called Hayden’s Pies, and despite it’s unassuming position between the local Repco and Mitre 10, it’s earned a reputation among wave-chasers as one of the best pie shops on the east coast.
‘It’s such a good feed,’ says local charger Brett Burcher, who’s only too happy to give us the lowdown on his favourites from Hayden’s gourmet range. ‘The butter chicken is definitely up there. The lamb saagwala is also good. The other day I decided to try a plain one for the first time and it was amazing as well.’
Located in the main street of Ulladulla, the shop is in a primo spot to catch surfers on the return mission from a paddle. And according to the man behind the pies, Hayden Bridger, the place often provides a pretty good indication of what the waves are doing.
‘It’s always a good guide if you drive past the shop and see surfers sitting out on the deck. If the surf’s up, it’ll be chock-a-block full of them.’
Surfers have always had a soft spot for pies in Australia, but while most of us will throw down any old dodgy-looking bit of pastry after a long session, the real test of a good pie is if it’ll keep you coming back—and according to Brett, Hayden’s has no trouble with that.
‘It’s 100% widely appreciated among the Ully surf community. Some of the boys hammer it! I’ve only managed two in one go but I’m sure there’s some crew who can put away a lot more than that.’
According to Hayden, there is, with the most he’s seen disappear in one sitting being a staggering half-dozen. Unsurprisingly, the record belongs to a guy who’d just come in from a paddle.
‘It was pretty impressive,’ Hayden remembers. ‘The last pie he finished off with was a mashed potato pie, which are huge … and then he had a caramel slice afterwards! He wasn’t even a big guy. He was just starving after a surf and packed them away.’
So what is it about the pies from this humble little south coast pie shop that’s helped it become a site of ritual for local and travelling surfers alike?
Brett points to some obvious qualities like great taste, wide variety and the fact they don’t skimp on anything—free sauce included—but Hayden takes a more philosophical line.
‘Everyday we’re teaching ourselves new stuff. We’re always trying to get better. It’s just like you guys trying to ride the best waves, you’re always trying to get better.’